AIBU to think an Edinburgh festival show about Meredith Kercher's murder should be stopped?

So the promoters (who have experience in promoting shows, research what will be popular and what will be controversial which equals free publicity and as the saying goes any publicity is good publicity especially for an event like Edinburgh) and Knox herself who has been on the public eye now for nearly 20 years didn’t have a clue that this would be picked up by the media and viewed as controversial and gain a lot of attention here in the UK

you are not so stupid to believe this was going to go under the radar

of course the Kercher family are going to speak out they do not want Meredith’s murder connected to a comedy show which is surely, no matter how much you want to defend Knox, is understandable

It was always going to create media controversy and interest and no better place than in the UK win win for Knox and the promoters

And yet it received no press coverage until 2 days before its opening night, when Stephanie Kurcher started campaigning against it, making appearances on the BBC and CNN (completely misrepresenting the show in the process).

I'm not sure how you can honestly maintain that they did not bring the spotlight on themselves and the show.

What utter rubbish

of course it was going to hit the headlines as did the Netflix series here in the UK did

the promoters know exactly how this will play out and Knox herself has been in the media gaze for long enough to know as well

I have never said she wasn’t a victim

The Kercher family rather brought the spotlight on themselves, this time.

Knox announced the show back in May, and it flew almost entirely under the radar until the recent campaign against it - which the Kerchers launched through tv appearances.

The irony of criticising another poster for shaming those with different opinions when you are signing a petition to silence and shame someone for doing a show you disagree with.

She can tell her story however many times she likes. It’s her story.

Amanda Knox was also a victim. The grief of Meredith Kercher’s family does not negate what Amanda Knox went through, and nor should it dictate how she chooses to deal with it. They treated her appallingly, and continue to vilify her despite her being exoneration. Their grief did and does not entitle them to behave however they want towards a woman that was in no way responsible for the murder of their loved one.

If I had gone through what she had, I doubt I would have treated them with anywhere near the amount of grace that Amanda Knox has done.

It’s at a comedy festival in the UK where this will be most controversial and no surprise gain the most media attention- we all know this to be true

is there no comedy festivals in the states that Knox could perform her show at where it wouldn’t be so controversial and gain so much attention and once again the Kercher family have the media spotlight on them

Of course there are but it’s good business for Edinburgh and it’s good business for Knox herself

It doesn't sound as though there's anything controversial about the performance, though, just a(nother) rush to negative judgment.

Some positive audience responses to opening night:

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/amanda-knox-show-branded-profoundly-37527678

(Profoundly respectful, nothing offensive, emotional, genuinely funny, authentic, powerful, etc)

And she has told her story in various ways many times, and she will continue to there has been a book a Netflix series, numerous interviews/podcasts

She is now telling her story in a way that is highly controversial she know this, promoters know this they also know it is painful for the Kercher family

surely decency comes into this, a young woman was brutally murdered her family have had their grief and pain constantly dragged back into to the media spotlight and now with a knowingly highly controversial comedy performance

it’s not only her story it involves a family whose lives were torn apart and can never truly heal

The Times have a review of its opening night up (2 stars), describing it as not really a comedy and more a life story with some gallows-humor quips.

A couple of quotes particularly relevant to the thread:

"So do Kercher’s sister Stephanie and the more than 10,000 people who have signed a petition to stop Cartwheel from being performed have a point? Really, no: not only does Knox not make fun of “rape and murder”, as Stephanie suggested, she only mentions her friend fairly briefly, and very earnestly. Kercher’s name, for good or for ill, doesn’t get mentioned until halfway through the hour."

"This show is a sincere yet stilted attempt to convey the aftershocks of awful events she treats more obliquely than sensationalistically, let alone facetiously".

Her story is hers to tell. She doesn’t owe Meredith Kercher’s family silence, or indeed anything.

She did nothing to them, and has been far more compassionate towards them than they have ever been towards her.

Or she has now become addicted to the attention she gets

She isn’t stupid that she doesn’t know this will cause controversy and gain attention. What is she hoping to achieve

at some point not only Knox herself but promoters behind her have to question what is there to gain when again Meredith Kurchers family have their very personal pain through no choice of their own bought out into the public arena once again

So seriously she's doing comedy about it.

That's your prerogative. Doesn't mean anything concrete in terms of whether this show is in bad taste or not.

Edinburgh Fringe operates on an open‑access, free‑expression model. Open‑access artistic spaces must allow uncomfortable work, provided it does not incite harm or violence. However, the ethical burden lies heavily on Knox: she must ensure the show treats Meredith Kercher’s memory with dignity and avoids exploiting the tragedy.

The Kercher family’s pain is real and deserves respect. But censorship based on anticipated offence, especially when critics haven’t seen the work, sets a dangerous precedent for artistic expression. Knox’s behaviour aligns with someone who wants recognition of injustice, not vengeance. She is trying to correct the record, reclaim her humanity, and critique the systems that failed her. Those goals can look like revenge from the outside, but they are fundamentally different.

The ethical tension is real: her healing process intersects with another family’s grief. That’s the tragedy at the heart of this controversy.

I feel about this the same as I did when Frankie Boyle was making jokes about Madeline McCann. Disgusted by anyone who laughs.
I don't see how the two are remotely comparable.

One is a person joking about a victim.

One is a victim joking about their personal circumstances and trauma and (seemingly, based on the limited clips I've seen of her act) at her own expense.

I wouldn’t see it, but no I don’t think it should be banned.

Pffft. If I were in her shoes, I'd monetise every single opportunity that came my way. She owes precisely ZERO to the goddamn Kerchers, who are still blaming her, even though she was wrongfully convicted, did 4 years in Italian prison, was dragged over the coals and vilified in the press, made into a sex-crazed, deranged maniac, and was hounded by the same press for years after release. But yeah, it doesn't matter, poor poor Kerchers and evil 'Foxy Knoxy'. She had a sex toy, a boyfriend and liked to party. Burn her.

Why should she give a shit about them? She had nothing to do with Meredith's death; they weren't friends, they barely even knew each other. I'd be cursing the day I moved into a house share with THAT roommate, if I were Knox.

No they didn’t. They participated and encouraged the witch hunt. They could have chosen to be horrified that murder of Meredith ALSO ruined lives of 2 other innocent people and be happy that justice was restored but they seem to be focusing on continuing to vilify her. That’s not grace and restraint. Her only fault is that Meredith died and she didn’t

What happened is that ECHR ruled that Italy failed to properly investigate these allegations and secure any evidence. I’m not surprised they can’t be proved given there is no video or audio evidence and police are known to close ranks. Especially when they know they messed up and the stakes are high

Well we’ll have to agree to disagree then. I think choosing to come here is deliberately provocative. As was the choice of name for the show. I get that provocation is often the point of comedy, but I feel about this the same as I did when Frankie Boyle was making jokes about Madeline McCann. Disgusted by anyone who laughs.

Can’t believe people are genuinely arguing here that a criminal conviction is not a barrier to a lot of jobs and opportunities 😂😱 and it’s not “proven” that she was negatively impacted

are you high?

Dont worry, if you get accused of murder wrongly at age 20 or whatever they were, never ind you can do some shows about it later that will make up for it and it will balance out 😱